'Things should be better this year'

'Things should be better this year'

The year 2004 was welcomed with joy and hope that it would be
better than last year. However, many people fear that this year
will be no stranger to ups and downs as Indonesia will hold its
general election, and first direct presidential election. The
Jakarta Post talked to some people on their expectations and
fears for the year that lies ahead.

Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources:

I hope everything will go well. The democratization process,
hopefully, will boost our economy. At present, our economy is
performing well in fiscal and monetary terms, but in the future,
the key is the real sector, such as the energy sector.

I believe that the general election will proceed well and will
contribute to creating a conducive climate for investment.

Ratna Riantiarno, actress/playwright with the Teater Koma
group:

I have no ambitious targets for 2004. I just hope I'll stay
healthy. As I get older, I plan to focus on and spend more time
with my family.

As regards the state of the country, everything worries me --
politics, the economy, even our environment ... now, even the
weather is unpredictable. I think it's time for all of us to
reflect on what has been happening.

For the theater, I hope there will be nothing that will
curtail our freedom to express ourselves in the coming years.

Overall, I just want to be optimistic. I hope everything goes
just fine. If we think positively, I believe the results will be
positive, too.

Achmad Lanti, chairman of the Jakarta Water Regulatory Board:

I am optimistic that 2004 will be better, assuming that the
general election passes off smoothly. With the better electoral
system we have now, we should have get better leaders in terms of
moral quality.

By having good leaders, we will be able to speed up our
development in various sectors and improve the lot of the people
who have been suffering since the economic crisis hit the country
in 1997.

Of course, this would also affect my personal life as I would
be able to work harder without disruptions.

What I fear is what will happen if the elections do not take
proceed smoothly.

It is possible that some politicians will not be able to
accept defeat and start provoking people to do engage in acts of
anarchy. If this happens, we can forget about having a better
life next year. Our situation could even get worse.

Ernia, 23, is an employee with a telecommunications company
based on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. She is still
registered as a student with a state university in Bandung.

My New Year's resolutions? Well, first, I would like to be
able to save more money. I have to move to another boarding house
because this one is so expensive.

I must also finish my internship and finish school.
And ... I want to get a new boyfriend.

I don't know what to say about this country. You are asking
the wrong person ... I never pay attention to politics.

Things should be better this year, and I hope they will.
However, I might be hoping in vain. Every year, I wish for things
to get better, but in reality nothing changes. Everything stays
just the same.

-- The Jakarta Post